2022 Summit Program
The 2022 Connecting the Unconnected Summit was held as a 3-day virtual event, from 1-3 November and about 3 hours each day. Registration is complimentary – registered attendees can view it all on-demand!!
Day 1 – all times Eastern US
| 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| 10:15 AM – 10:35 AM | Keynote: Benoit Pelletier, VMware “Creating Meaningful Innovations Together by Keeping the Human in the Center of Technologies” |
| 10:35 AM – 10:50 AM | Invited Talk: Rami Amin, World Bank – “Digital Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Countries” |
| 10:50 AM to 11:35 AM | Parallel Tracks: Panel 1: Infrastructure for CTU • Edward J. Oughton, George Mason University • Marja Matinmikko-Blue, University of Oulu • Pranav Jha, IIT Bombay • Lee Davenport, US Ignite • Bilel Jamoussi, ITU Panel 2: Connectivity & Global Challenges • Chris Ng, Blue Danube Systems • Radha Ganti, IIT Madras • Catherine Rosenberg, University of Waterloo • Charles Lewis, ICASA • Luciano Mendes, National Institute of Telecommunications |
| 11:35 AM to 11:45 AM | break |
| 11:45 AM to 12:05 PM | Invited Talk: Vint Cerf, Google – “How will we know if we have succeeded in CTU??” |
| 12:05 AM to 12:25 PM | CTU Challenge Winners: • Best Proof of Concept, sponsored by VMware • 1st Place, Technical Applications |
| 12:25 PM to 12:30PM | Closing Remarks |
| 12:30 PM to 13:00 PM | • Open Discussion with Awardees (Individual Breakout Rooms) • Exhibit Booth Visits |
Day 2 – all times Eastern US
| 9:00 AM – 9:05 AM | Opening Remarks |
| 9:05 AM – 9:25 AM | Keynote: Dr. Mohammed Alotaibi, Saudi Arabia Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) “Releasing the potential of the Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) to Connect the Unconnected” |
| 9:25 AM – 9:40 AM | Invited Talk: Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Project Taara “Wireless Optical Communication: Connecting people using beams of light” |
| 9:40 AM – 10:25 AM | Parallel Tracks: Panel 3: Business Models for CTU • Salvatore D’Itri, Grace Innovations • Fisseha Mekuria, Malmö University / CSIR • Satyam Darmora, WIOM/I2E1 • Rajeev Gopal, Hughes Panel 4: Community Enablement for CTU • Mei Lin Fung, People-Centered Internet • Mohammed Slim Alouini, King Abdullah University • Bharat Bhatia, ITU-APT and WWRF • Thomas Koutsky, USAID |
| 10:25 AM – 10:35 AM | Break |
| 10:35 AM – 10:55 AM | Lightning Talks: • Micheal Brough, M2Catalyst • Eric Nitschke, Wakoma • Abdullateef Aliyu, IEEE Smart Village • Joaquin Aviles, i4SD |
| 10:55 AM – 11:25 AM | CTU Challenge Winners: • Best Overall, Concept Only, sponsored by Connecting the World from the Skies • 1st Place, Business Model Proof of Concept • 1st Place, Community Enablement Proof of Concept |
| 11:25 AM – 11:30 AM | Closing Remarks |
| 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM | • Open Discussion with Awardees (Individual Breakout Rooms) • Exhibit Booth Visits |
Day 3 – all times Eastern US
| 9:00 AM – 9:05 AM | Opening Remarks |
| 9:05 AM – 9:20 AM | Keynote: J Nicholas Laneman, Spectrum X |
| 9:20 AM – 9:30 AM | Invited Talk: Jason Winborn, AT&T |
| 9:30 AM – 9:40 AM | Invited Talk: Josef Noll, University of Oslo |
| 9:40 AM – 10:25 AM | Parallel Tracks: Panel 5: Policy & Regulatory Issues • William Lehr, MIT • Dennis Roberson, Roberson and Associates • Monisha Ghosh, Notre Dame • Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, One Web • V Sridhar, IIIT Bangalore Panel 6: Standards: Opportunities & Challenges • Jorge Pereira, European Commission • Munir Mohammed. IEEE Standards Association • Kentaro Ishizu, NICT • Subhas Mondal, HFCL • Sandeep Agarwal, Chair, IEEE SA P2872 |
| 10:25 AM – 10:35 AM | Break |
| 10:35 AM – 10:55 AM | Lightning Talks: • Rob Schneider, The Lemelson Foundation • Filippo Malandra, SUNY Buffalo • Rahma Utami, Suarise |
| 10:55 AM – 11:25 AM | CTU Challenge Winners x3 |
| 11:25 AM – 11:30 AM | Closing Remarks |
| 11.30 AM – 11.50 AM | • Open Discussion with Awardees (Individual Breakout Rooms) • Exhibit Booth Visits |
Theme
Innovation for sustainable and inclusive connectivity
The IEEE Connecting the Unconnected Summit
The IEEE CTU Summit is an annual multi-day event where experts and thought leaders convene to discuss the issue of internet connectivity. Regulators, standards setting bodies, non-profits, international companies, and other experts will meet to share current thinking on critical topics of innovation and connectivity.
The Summit also serves as an Awards Ceremony for the IEEE Connecting the Unconnected Challenge. Winners of the Challenge will have an opportunity to present their solutions in front of this global audience and receive public recognition for their IEEE awards.